Tonight is a busy night for San Francisco, especially with the two art fairs in town.  ArtMRKT and ArtPad SF.  Below are descriptions of both fairs and what they are up to this evening.  Both fairs will be available for viewing from May 16th-19th.  SFAQ is a proud sponsor for both fairs and will have the new issue #13 available for pick up.  For more information follow the links below in the post.  We will also be blogging from the fairs this weekend on SFAQonline so check back in to see whats on view soon. Enjoy and see you out there this weekend.

ArtMRKT San Francisco, the Bay Area’s premier contemporary and modern art fair, will feature 70 galleries from around the globe, bringing some of the world’s most intriguing artists and galleries to San Francisco. In showcasing historically important work alongside relevant contemporary pieces and projects, artMRKT will create an ideal context for the discovery, exploration and acquisition of art. ArtMRKT will be at Fort Mason in the Maria District of San Francisco.

2013 ArtCare Award for Excellence in Civic Arts Patronage: Honoring Mrs. Diane B. Wilsey

Thursday, May 16th | 5:00PM – 6:00PM

The annual ArtCare Award recognizes significant contributions to the city’s cultural sector and the preservation of its Civic Art Collection.

Opening Night Party

Thursday, May 16th | 8:00PM – 10:30PM
The night continues with a party open to Opening Night Benefit Preview & Reception ticket purchasers, Opening Night Party Pass and VIP Pass holders.

SF Jazz High School All-Stars Combo

Open to Opening Night Benefit Preview ticket purchasers.

Thursday, May 16th | 6:00PM – 8:00PM

Miss Conception

Open to Opening Night Benefit Preview & Opening Night Party Pass holders

Thursday, May 16th | 6:00PM – 10:30PM

Michele Pred’s performance piece is a wry commentary on 21st century sexual politics, with a focus on birth control and beauty. Her outfit includes a 60’s era beauty pageant dress, along with a rhinestone tiara covered in birth control pills. She will engage with visitors and give out out hand-lettered cards with intriguing misconceptions about reproductive rights . Additional work by the artist can be viewed at Nancy Hoffman Gallery.

For more information on ArtMRKT visit here.

Opening Night Beneficiary: SFMOMA SECA Art Award

Opening night of ArtPadSF 2013 will benefit the upcoming SFMOMA SECA Art Award exhibition with an evening of special programming created in partnership with the museum. This event will be a multisensory extension of ArtPadSF’s unconventional downtown aesthetic with entertainment to hear, watch, and taste. Synthpop and Chillwave band Altars will play between 6PM-8PM, followed by a DJ set by Altar’s Bertie Pearson. At 7PM the San Francisco Tsunami Swim Club, a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight-friendly masters-level swim team, will perform a synchronized swim in the Phoenix Hotel pool. Throughout the night, Thought for Food will offer their conceptual based concessions, replicating the taste of “sun, sand, and sea” on mini surfboard styled sticks with a debut flavor, the BELLY FLOP.

Opening Night Video Programming Partner: BAM/PFA

On the opening night of ArtPadSF, the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA) will present an outdoor video installation by Bay Area-based artist Andrew Benson, curated by BAM/PFA Video Curator Steve Seid. Shine Bright Plastic Diamonds is a digital mural that will be projected onto the six-story building adjacent to the Phoenix Hotel. Benson has created software that incorporates a number of image sources into one rushing, time-based artwork that continually reinvents itself in exuberant and saturated colors. Fairgoers can catch a glimpse of their own silhouette as the artwork will incorporate images of the fair via live footage capture.

For more information on ArtPad visit here.